


Overcast

by Barcaworld



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Slow Burn, eventual neymessi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-15
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-15 13:08:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11806617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barcaworld/pseuds/Barcaworld
Summary: It’s eerily quiet, but Leo has grown used to the silence. It was usually like this whenever he went out scavenging and by now, he has learned that anything other than silence signifies danger.Leo’s gaze flickers up as he adjusts the strap of his bag in discomfort. He knows what he’ll find, but he looks up anyway.Nothing, there is absolutely nothing. Or at least, nothing that he can see. Even as his light flashes through the shadows, it disappears into the darkness. No sky, no clouds, no signs of life other than his own beating heart.





	1. Beginning

It’s been a full twenty four hours since Leo last closed his eyes for more than a minute, twelve since he last stopped to take a break. His feet have started to drag a bit more carelessly than he would like and it’s only the ‘WARNING’ sign flickering across the base of his flashlight that keeps him going. With only 10% of battery life left, he doesn’t dare stop for even a second. Not until he’s back behind the walls where he calls home.

It’s eerily quiet, but Leo has grown used to the silence. It was usually like this whenever he went out scavenging and by now, he has learned that anything other than silence signifies danger.

Leo’s gaze flickers up as he adjusts the strap of his bag in discomfort. He knows what he’ll find, but he looks up anyway.

Nothing, there is absolutely nothing. Or at least, nothing that he can see. Even as his light flashes through the shadows, it disappears into the darkness. No sky, no clouds, no signs of life other than his own beating heart.

It wasn’t always like this, or at least that’s what he’s told. There was once a time where there was a sky to look up to, a sun that blessed their skin with warmth. Birds soared across the sky with planes flying overhead and kites drifting through the wind coupled with a gentle breeze. He hears that there was once grass on the ground, a breathtaking green that made the few plants they had here pale in comparison. His mother says their family used to live in a land called Argentina.

However, that was fifty years ago, before he was even born. Fifty years ago, mankind woke up to find the sun and sky gone, greeted with what seemed like an endless void instead. Buildings that remained intact were the only proof that they weren’t in a foreign realm while plants withered away. A few years later, scientists theorized that they were underground, yet the darkness seemed to be endless. Perhaps they hadn’t ventured out far enough to find an end.

The reasoning for this being the very reason why Leo forces himself to pick up his pace. Stuck in this world of darkness, light was scarce.

The one rule that Leo had learned growing up was, /Never let your light burn out./

The light was the only thing that kept /them/ away. Creatures that lurk around their world with a taste for human flesh. It’s only the light that keeps them away for whatever reason. Not enough have been seen for long enough periods of time to determine why. It’s only recently that scientists have adjusted flashlights so that one is able to see how long they have until the light goes out.

Leo has seen what happens when the lights go out for too long. It occurs occasionally on supply runs, when flashlights malfunction or torches flicker out. Within the few minutes that it takes to get them back on, there are always casualties.

He has lost far too many friends to those mutts.

6%, his flashlight beeps quietly. He holds in a sigh of relief upon seeing familiar faint lights up ahead - he’s close to the walls. It’s the only place where people are safe.

“Who’s there?” He hears from atop the wall as he approaches. Leo squints as a light is shined down upon him and quickly turns off his own light, “Leo?”

“Don’t sound so surprised, Geri.” Leo scoffs as a rope ladder is thrown down. The Argentine adjusts his grip on his pack, putting away his flashlight before he starts climbing. His arms protest under the strain from exhaustion but Leo perseveres.

“What? I can’t be happy to see you?” Gerard grins, the tall man offering his hand to pull his friend the rest of the way up once he’s close enough. Leo accepts it, tossing his bag down onto the ground the first chance he gets whilst Geri pulls the ladder back up, “You look like shit.”

“Thank you,” Leo rolls his eyes before he picks up his pack once more. The supplies are no use if he doesn’t deliver them. The lights are dim up here but he’s able to see the Spaniard yawn, “Is Masche back?”

“Nope,” Geri holds back a second yawn as he sits back down. His job is to sit up on the wall to help scavengers in and out of the town while keeping a look out for any signs of danger. An uneventful job most of the time, to say the least. The creatures didn’t dare hang around their lit perimeters.

Gerard Pique has been one of his best friends since preschool, yet the pair couldn’t be more different. While Leo preferred to keep to himself, Geri was loud and carefree. Often times, he’d play pranks on people around town. Not that he grew out of that despite the pair already being in early adulthood.

Tall and lean with brown hair and blue eyes, Geri always boasted about his family’s life before the incident. Apparently they’d lived in Spain, owned a big football stadium. Not like any of that mattered now, but seeing Geri so passionate makes Leo smile. With so little to do growing up, they’d bonded over football. He’d like to imagine that one day, they’ll be able to play football in a real stadium.

Their little friend group growing up consisted of the likes of Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez. Despite the lack of space to play football, the group arranged mini matches from time to time.

Masche was far shorter than Geri and a little taller than Leo. Despite his small stature, the man commanded respect with his piercing gaze and completely shaved head. He was built enough that no one dare pick a fight with him. Leo’s family had been neighbors with his before the incident.

Jordi was rather the opposite. Not an intimidating bone in his body, the man was small and fast. He laughed often, always fooling around with Geri whenever he got the chance. He too originated from Spain, though his family was no where near as luxurious as Gerard’s.

Luis was a bit of a mystery. He never talked much about himself nor did he have a family growing up. An orphan from Uruguay, some theorized. A bit on the chubbier side with an overbite and dark hair that was cut close to his scalp, many whispered about him in the streets. Leo doesn’t understand to this day why the man is so disliked, he likes him plenty.

“But he left before me.” Leo frowns. He himself had taken quite a while out there, he can’t imagine what the hold up is. Actually he can, but he’d rather not think….No, he can’t lose another friend-

“Relax, he’s /Masche/,” Pique points out, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder, “He knows how to take care of himself.”

Leo says nothing in response, instead heading towards the stairs that led down the wall and into the town. He ignores the curious gazes of other bored officers nearby Gerard’s post who have overheard parts of their conversation as he heads down the stairs.

His first destination once he reaches the bottom of the stairs is the hospital. Located in the far end of town, it’s small in size and capacity. Despite this, the place is always flooded with patients; it was easy to grow ill in a dark and gloomy environment such as this.

The streets are rather empty today, the few that are awake giving Leo a brief greeting before they go their separate ways. Everyone runs on the same schedule due to the town leader setting clocks in each house hold and around town. It’s the only way to establish a night and day without the sun.

As expected, the hospital is quiet around this hour. In reality, it’s no more than a one story building with a few rooms where patients are packed inside while doctors and nurses are usually huddled around a coffee table up front. There’s only one of them today, a man in his late forties. Lean with hair that has started greying, the doctor looks up. He wears a makeshift name tag that reads ‘Enrique’.

“Leo,” He greets before his gaze shifts to the bag that the Argentine carries, “Here to see your mother?”

Leo nods, setting his bag down on the coffee table. He unzips it, digging around until he finds exactly what he’s looking for. A bottle of pills labeled with some name he can’t pronounce, but it’s what he has been asked to retrieve, “This is it, yes?”

“Yes, yes,” Enrique responds eagerly as Leo hands him the bottle. He rolls the item in his hands in awe, “This is enough to last us for a few months. Thank you.”

“And my mother?” Leo asks pointedly, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. Almost threatening, perhaps, because Enrique quickly composes himself.

“Ah, yes, this should be enough to get her feeling better.”

Leo stares for a moment longer before he pulls his gaze away, picking up the bag and heading down the hall. He’s been here so many times over the past few months that he’s got the way memorized.

He’s careful when he opens the door to her room, not wanting to wake up other patients who could potentially be asleep in the room. Peeking his head in first, he closes the door softly behind him.

Weaving through sick patients, Leo makes his way towards his mother’s bed. All the way in the corner, there’s a little chair pushed up next to it, one that he brought in a while ago when it was determined that she would have to stay in the hospital until her condition got better.

Careful not to make any noise, he takes a seat on the chair, setting his bag on his lap. His mother appears to be asleep, exhausted from the long day. Leo gazes upon her sleeping form fondly, placing his hand on top of hers.

“I’m here, Ma,” He whispers, his thumb running across her knuckles. She twitches in response but does not wake.

Using his free hand, he digs back into his bag. His hand resurfaces with a little key chain he’d found in an abandoned store while scavenging. It’s a little blue bird and though it’s color has faded over time, it’s unmistakable. He has never seen one in real life, but only in pictures that his mother has kept from before the incident. They’re her favorite animal - they were his father’s favorite apparently as well.

Leo sets the key chain in her palm, watching as the little blue bird disappears within her fist. One day, perhaps they’ll be able to see a real one together.

The young man closes his eyes after a while, leaning his head down on the end of the bed. He eventually nods off, lost within his own thoughts; worries, fears, and fond memories all wrapped into one.


	2. Nemeziz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You heading out anytime soon?” Luis asks once they’re well on their way. Their houses are close together, it’s convenient. If there’s any trouble, Luis is the first one to know.
> 
> “Yeah,” Leo shoves his hands in his pockets. He notes that the lights around town have started dimming - they’ll be replaced in a few days time.
> 
> “Not with Guardiola’s men, I hope?” There’s a bitterness to Luis’s voice, one that Leo expects. Luis had never been fond of the town leader. ‘He must know more about what’s going on than he’s letting on,’ Luis often told Leo. He can’t disagree with that.

“Keep it down,” Masherano hisses for the fourth time this evening, eventually shaking his head and sitting back down once he realizes that the group plan on paying no mind to him. Leo offers a shrug from his place on the couch.

“Give it here!” Gerard stretches his long arms towards Jordi who holds the item in question to his chest. The smaller man gives him a shake of the head in protest, a sly grin spreading across his face.

“You mean this?” Jordi opens the box in his arms, holding out the pair of football cleats that had been contained within it. He dangles the shoes as if they’re a prize to be won, a predator’s bait for its prey. He snickers, pulling them closer to him as Geri lunges forward, “They’re not even your size!”

“I wouldn’t have brought them if I knew you were going to fight over them.” Masche shakes his head in disapproval but does nothing to intervene. The Argentine had found them on his scavenge much to their delight. They’d never had new cleats before, let alone rare ones such as these.

“They’re the Adidas Nemeziz, I don’t care if they don’t fit me!” Geri is finally able to get a hold of one of the shoes, yanking it out of Jordi’s grip. He rolls it around his palms as if it were a piece of gold, awe flickering through his blue eyes, “They’re cooler than I thought they’d be. Look, Luis.”

Luis had been quiet through this whole ordeal despite the obvious amusement that he held. He takes the shoe in his hands once Jordi decides that he’d be willing to share, examining the craftsmanship of the product. His mouth opens slightly, brows furrowing for a moment. Leo wants to ask why, but the expression is soon gone.

“Why don’t we give them to Leo?” Luis finally speaks, handing the shoe to the Argentine. It appears that he has lost interest. Geri reluctantly hands Leo the other shoe, placing his chin on his hand, elbow propping it up, “It’s his shoe size, isn’t it?”

Leo takes the shoes in his hands, running a finger over the spikes. He’d never had proper cleats before. They’re lighter than he expected.

“That’s not fair,” Jordi whines, but seems not to disagree with Luis, “Now he’ll be ten times better at football than he already is.”

Leo says nothing in response, instead, looking up at Masche. The older man nods slightly in approval, to which Leo responds with a look of thanks. They’re always told not to scavenge for anything other than the necessities, it was risky for him to bring such a large box in the first place. Sure, they’d all smuggled little things, but nothing like this. Not unless the town leader gave permission for them to keep it.

It was mainly him and Masche that went out scavenging out of their little group. Geri was usually on watch while Jordi was far too frightened of the world outside the walls to go out alone. Luis tagged along with Leo every once in a while, keeping the Argentine company. Sometimes, the five of them would go together - groups were always recommended anyway.

Groups went out every week to scavenge through new areas, individuals with certain connects able to go out whenever they pleased. Leo was lucky to be such close friends with Geri, who’s family was directly related to the town leader’s. He was also fortunate that the town leader, Pep Guardiola, seemed to favor him.

Perhaps it was because he favored his mother, though she didn’t feel the same as he did. Despite her husband’s passing many years back, she had yet to open up to another man. Leo thinks that she’ll take his father’s name to the grave.

A knock on the door leads Leo to quickly put the cleats back in the box, shoving it under the couch. Depending on who was at the door, it would be best for the football shoes to go unnoticed. Jordi and Geri quickly scramble to hide the empty beer cans that sit on Masche’s coffee table - he’s almost certain he sees one being shoved up Luis’s shirt, with one of them muttering ‘don’t move it, gordo!’.

Leo watches as Mascherano answers the door, tilting his chin up in an attempt to look over his shoulder.

“Good evening,” He hears a voice from the door greet. “I’m here to-”

“Cut the crap, Ivan,” Masche leans on the door frame, “You know I didn’t steal shit.”

“I’m required to knock at every door,” Leo sees the blonde man grin, watching as he places a hand on Masche’s shoulder, “Doesn’t mean I have to search every house. You make sure to keep yourself in one piece, yeah?”

Ivan gives the bald man a friendly pat, the pair of them sharing a knowing look, before the blonde looks past him and towards the group. Ivan Rakitic, one of the officers within the town. He and Geri often went out drinking together when no one was paying attention.

“You guys stay out of trouble too, wouldn’t want to be the one to arrest you.” Rakitic grins, offering a wave before heading out. It’s only when he fully disappears from sight that Mascherano closes the door. He makes sure to lock it this time.

“Fucking hell,” Masche curses under his breath as he plops down onto the couch. He sinks into it, face twisted with annoyance, “They come every other day, those fuckers.”

The town officers have been patrolling the town for the past few weeks - it seems that someone is taking more portions of supplies than they’re meant to. They’ve stolen enough to have the town checking every house hold; it seems that the culprit has yet to be found.

“We know Lucas did it,” Luis offers casually. Lucas Digne, a kid that didn’t particularly stand out until he’d ran off a few weeks ago. He’d taken a few things from his home and slipped away - a fool he was, thinking that he could make a living outside the walls, “That kid was always trouble.”

Well, no one could be certain that Lucas took the supplies, but if not him then who? It had to be someone who knew the town well to be able to navigate through security like that. All the houses in town were checked and no extra supplies matching the description were found.

“Or maybe, everyone’s over reacting. So what if a few things are missing?” Geri shrugs, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table much to Masche’s disapproval. No one responds, but perhaps the thoughts among them are the same - stability was a myth in this world, who knew when they’d stop finding supplies?

“I’m heading home,” Luis says finally, removing the half full beer can that had been hid under his shirt, placing it onto the table. He irons out his shirt with his hands as best he can, tugging at the ends of the fabric. It’s probably a size smaller than he would have ideally liked, but they can’t be picky under the circumstances.

“I’ll come,” Leo speaks up, heading towards the door himself. He picks up his bag, only pausing when Jordi hands him the shoe box. Ah, right.

“You’re sure I can have them?” He asks upon taking the box in his hands. Him and Jordi are around the same shoe size, Leo’s certain that they’d fit on him too.

“Keep them.” Jordi confirms with a smile, helping Leo squeeze the box into his bag, “I’ll just wait until Masche gets me another pair.”

“I’m not getting you another pair-” Leo hears from behind him as he trails after Luis. He doesn’t hear Jordi’s response once the door closes behind them and they’re left out on the streets.

“You heading out anytime soon?” Luis asks once they’re well on their way. Their houses are close together, it’s convenient. If there’s any trouble, Luis is the first one to know.

“Yeah,” Leo shoves his hands in his pockets. He notes that the lights around town have started dimming - they’ll be replaced in a few days time.

“Not with Guardiola’s men, I hope?” There’s a bitterness to Luis’s voice, one that Leo expects. Luis had never been fond of the town leader. ‘He must know more about what’s going on than he’s letting on,’ Luis often told Leo. He can’t disagree with that.

”We’ll see.” Not that he really had a choice in the matter if Pep said otherwise. The rest of the trip is quiet, Luis asking no further questions. It’s always like this with them; the simple idea of each other’s company is enough.

They reach Leo’s house first. It’s plain, just like the rest of the little huts on this street. The only difference is the name plate that has been screwed into his door that reads, ‘Lionel Messi’. Look hard enough and you can see where they’ve unscrewed another name plate, the one with his mother’s name on it.

“Wait,” Luis grabs Leo by the sleeve before he can head in. He uses his free hand to dig into his pockets, “I almost forgot to give you this. It’s for your mother.”

Luis places the item in Leo’s hand. It’s a little bottle of medicine, the label fading away but in tact nonetheless.

“You didn’t-” Leo starts, a look of surprise flickering across his gaze. It couldn’t possibly be Luis who had started stealing supplies, could it?

“No, no.” Luis is quick to catch on, shaking his head frantically, “It’s something I found the last time I went out. Thought you could use it.”

“Luis…” Leo starts, taking the little bottle in his hand. His heart warms with gratitude at the idea that Luis had smuggled the item in despite the risks, “/Thank you/.”

Luis smiles, lips stretching over those big teeth of his before it’s replaced by another expression that Leo cannot quite read. Before Leo can ask about it he turns, offering his friend a wave of farewell.

“Send her my best wishes. I’ll see you around.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! No Neymar this chapter :( Still setting up the 'feel' of this story, Leo's relations with others in the town etc. Let me know what you think so far!
> 
> And yes, I managed to sneak Leo's newest cleat line in the fic, lmao. The irony.


	3. Lights out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tears sting at his eyes as he closes them, bust up hands curling in to grab at nothing but gravel. So this is how it ends, alone in the darkness in a heap of his own blood and sweat.
> 
> He’s not ready.
> 
> But then again, neither were the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> VERY GRAPHIC. If you're triggered by blood, violence or gore, I'd strongly suggest that you skip this chapter. Thanks!

“Lionel,” Enrique stops him the morning he comes to drop off the medicine he’d received from Luis. He’s already halfway out the door when he hears his name being called. Holding the door open, he looks back over his shoulder.

The doctor opens his mouth as if to speak before thinking better of it. His expression is troubled, eyes conflicted as he instead brings his hand up in a wave. Whatever he wanted to tell Leo is dismissed, “Be careful out there.”

Leo decides not to press, letting the door swing shut behind him. Enrique has always been a little odd. Yet that look of pity that flashes across Enrique’s face just before the door shuts will perhaps haunt him for years to come.

“Ah, Leo!”

Making his way towards the entrance of the hospital is Pep Guardiola himself, accompanied by two of his goons who trail just behind him. The balding man gives the Argentine a smile.

“Ever the responsible son I see. How’s your mother doing?”

Something about his smile makes Leo uneasy.

“Better,” He lies. If he cared so much about her, perhaps Guardiola should visit more often, which brings him to his next question, “May I ask what brings you here?”

Pep makes an ‘uh, uh’ sound, wagging his index finger in front of Leo’s face. He feels like a child again, one that’s getting scolded. As if he was aware of this, Guardiola then proceeds to pat the Argentina on the head, ruffling his hair. Leo makes no effort to hide his discomfort, shying away from his touch.

“I’m counting on you out there; you always do find the loveliest of things.” It appears that he isn’t going to answer the question. Regardless, Leo watches as Guardiola walks past him, gesturing for his guards to follow.

Leo watches as they disappear behind the hospital doors, waiting until the last of them is inside the building to snort. How nice of him to think of himself as their lord and savior when in reality, he was just as damned as the rest of them.

****************************************

As expected, Leo is assigned into a pair when going out to scavenge. Typical Guardiola, letting there be a slack in his leash but unable to let go entirely. Giving Leo the luxury of going out on his own for extended periods of time gave him far too much /freedom/, something Guardiola simply couldn’t allow.

He’s paired with Jasper Cillessen, a shy man two years younger than him. Paired with blonde hair and timid blue eyes, he’d often hang out just outside the little sorry excuse of a library the town had. Whenever his football rolled towards the library, Jasper would always be the one to return it, his tall and lanky frame looming over Leo.

“Hey, Leo!” Over the past few hours they’d spent inside the abandoned building they’d found, Jasper had started to open up. He now calls for the Argentine from down the aisle, holding up his findings when he gets his attention, “Shall I bring these back?”

It’s a box of condoms.

“They have expiration dates, you know.” Leo points out - he doubts a condom from fifty years ago would be any good now. His eyes search the shelves, “But if you must-”

His cheeks redden slightly in embarrassment at the topic as he picks up another brand of condom off the shelves. Man to man, he supposes it’s only right to help a brother out when picking the /most comfortable/ one.

Jasper laughs but puts the box in his bag anyway. Good to know that he has his priorities straight. Leo doesn’t even ask whom it’s intended to be used with because at this point, he definitely doesn’t want to know.

They continue to scout the aisles for any valuables. Medicine, napkins, towels, all sort of things that had lasted through the test of time. Somewhere during their search, Jasper decides to take a look at the piles of books that have fallen off the shelves. Leo leaves him be, moving onto the kitchen supply aisle instead.

It’s only a few minutes later when Leo is idly looking through the selection of frying pans that he hears a noise. A beep, a familiar one. 1% , his flashlight reads.

For a moment, Leo is frozen in shock.

That’s...impossible.

In the next moment, his feet are already moving without thought. He nearly slips as he skids down the aisle, knocking some things off the shelves in the process. He doesn’t care.

“Jasper!”

He finds the blonde still squatted over the pile of books, however, his expression says it all. His flashlight is almost dead as well. 

“Leo...”

Just as their eyes meet, faces filled with horror -

The lights go out.

There’s a moment of silence between them, perhaps compelled by fear or shock. Then, there’s a clank of something dropping on the floor which is enough to snap the Argentine out of his daze. Adrenaline pumps through his veins as Leo lurches forward, feeling around in the dark until he is able to grab Jasper by the wrist. He yanks him to his feet, dropping his own flashlight.

“They can’t get here....can they?....But....we’re in a building....” Jasper’s still dazed - Leo feels as though he’s pulling around a dead weight. Unsure of which direction they’re going, Leo uses his free hand to feel around the walls - he recalls that the exit is by where the vases were displayed.

There’s a smash of glass as his hand hits a vase, both reassuring and alarming at the same time. He ignores the pain in his foot as he steps on a large shard of glass - he barely feels it with his heart pounding so heavily against his chest.

“They can-” Leo breathes, his grip tightening. He knows, he has seen it. As much as their flashlights are their saving grace, they’re also their downfall. It’s practically a beacon that tells everyone where they are and from experience, Leo knows that they’ve been followed.

Running blindly through the darkness, Leo’s next step is met with nothing - the ground disappears from underneath his foot and he releases Jasper’s wrist as his hands automatically fly out in front of him to brace himself. Shit, the stairs -

He tumbles down, grunting in pain as the edge of the stairs come in contact with his head. The stairs feel endless, the Argentine’s thoughts growing distant for a few moments until he lands at the bottom with a thud. A hiss of pain escapes his lips as he instinctively pushes himself up to his feet, mind reeling.

Something squishes underneath one of his feet. Leo squats down - partially due to his dizziness - and feels around. He pulls his hand back in surprise as his fingers touch fine hairs. A rat perhaps? Reluctantly, he places his hand back over the unmoving animal.

There’s a sticky substance oozing out of it - blood, he realizes. The body is still warm, meaning that it had died only moments ago.

Leo’s blood runs cold as he realizes what this means. 

“Jasper!” He calls frantically, swallowing hard. He feels around some more, searching for the blonde, “/Jasper!/”

“Leo!” Jasper’s voice echoes down on him from the top of the stairs. Leo feels around for the wall, using it as support as he scrambles to his feet. He needs to get him down here, to get him out of here- “L-Leo-!!”

The sudden scream of agony that sounds from above stops Leo in his tracks. His mouth suddenly feels painfully dry and he seems to have lost the ability to move. The crunching of bone along with cries begging for forgiveness are accompanied by sobs.

The situation is all too familiar to Leo. And once again, he has found himself powerless, unable to move a single muscle. Instead, he gazes into up ahead into nothingness, growing more numb by the second.

Not again, not again -

“G-GO!” Though the voice is but a whimper, Jasper’s final words are rasped out and suddenly, Leo is running.

His heart pounds against his chest as the adrenaline returns. He rips through the darkness blindly, throwing his bag into the abyss once he’s outside. He can’t see where he’s going - for all he knows, he’s running straight into the creatures. He doesn’t even know how far he’s made it-

He cries out in pain as he’s suddenly bowled over, teeth digging into his arm. He nearly lands underneath the massive weight, barely avoiding it as he tries to pry the mutt off of him. It seems that the impact from hitting the ground has loosened its grip for Leo is able to forcefully yank his arm out.

Something that feels almost hand like grabs him, its nails digging into his skin. He kicks out, catching a glimpse of the creature now that his eyes have started to adjust to the darkness.

It’s not a mutt as he’d once thought; it’s far, far worse.

The outline of the creature can only be described as ‘mutated’. Limbs extending out of different parts of the creature in all directions, a line of drool escapes from one of its mouths as it attempts to drag Leo closer.

It reeks of blood and decay.

“/Go to hell!/” Leo spits out, his voice shaking despite his words. He isn’t the first and he certainly won’t be the last. The Argentine grabs a hold of the limb that has gotten hold of his leg, taking both hands and working to bend it as he would with a stick. He hasn’t made it this far to simply die without a fight.

There’s a snap.

The grip on his leg loosens.

That’s enough for Leo to pry its fingers off his ankle. Quicker than he thought was possible, he forces himself onto his feet once more. Somewhere behind him, the creature is staring at its damaged limb in surprise as if the experience was a first.

“Fuck,” Leo holds his arm, blood oozing from between his fingers. He’s going to die. The feeling has suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. His feet feel like they’re made of lead, dragging along behind him. He has seconds at best until the creature loses interest in its broken arm or another one comes along to finish him off.

The adrenaline is fading away, a sense of plain fear replacing it. He..he doesn’t want to die, he realizes as his legs give way. He’d always thought that he’d accepted the fact that this was the kind of world he lived in, yet when the moment came, he could not help but be afraid.

And his mother, /oh god/, his mother. She was counting on him, he was the only family she had left. He hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye-

Tears sting at his eyes as he closes them, bust up hands curling in to grab at nothing but gravel. So this is how it ends, alone in the darkness in a heap of his own blood and sweat.

He’s not ready.

But then again, neither were the others.

In the next few moments, he isn’t entirely sure what happens.

Light, he sees light.

It’s shining in his face, so bright that he has to squint. Or rather, it’s the only thing he can do at the moment, finding himself unable to move his body. He hears the creature scamper away at the sight, melting back into the darkness. His heart still pounds and Leo subconsciously counts the beats in his head. They'd found him, another group had most likely been scavenging in the same area and heard the commotion. 

Whatever relief felt is short lived because in the next few seconds, he's greeted with a swing to the head and his world fades to black.


	4. Dani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He remembers the light.
> 
> Someone had found him, saved him, and then proceeded to knock him out.
> 
> Meaning whoever or rather, /whatever/, was poking at him could not be trusted.

Something’s poking him on the chin, prodding at his jawline in a way that exemplified curiosity rather than aggression. It continues to poke even as Leo starts to come to his senses. It’s only then that he realizes that there’s music playing in a language he can’t quite understand. Loud, vibrant, and most certainly not something he’d ever heard, it does little to help Leo recollect on the events prior to his awakening.

Jasper's screams and cries come to him first in bits and pieces. They'll haunt him for the rest of his life - he can only hope that the end was quick. Leo recalls Jasper's last few moments, how he'd slipped the box of condoms in his bag. He probably had someone back home waiting for him, someone who loved him very much. And now, they'd never see him again. 

Perhaps there was something Leo could have done to save him. Maybe, just maybe, if he'd gone up the stairs, if he'd had enough courage then maybe, Jasper would still be alive. Maybe they could have fought off the beast together, after all there were two of them and only one of the creature. Leo knows it's irrational to think this way, to push some of the blame on himself. He knows that there was no way of determining how many creatures were already up the stairs or if he would have even made it up in time, yet the guilt that gathers within him cannot be erased. The 'what if' will always be there. 

However, he's able to momentarily overcome it as the rest of his memories flow through his mind. If he remembers correctly, he himself should be dead. Or maybe he is dead just like Jasper, and this is where the souls of the damned go once they’ve been devoured by those beasts.

He remembers the light.

Someone had found him, saved him, and then proceeded to knock him out.

Meaning whoever or rather, _whatever_ , was poking at him could not be trusted.

“Dude, your beard is a different color than your hair. _That’s so cool.”_ Someone says from above him. Shit, they know he’s awake. Judging from the voice, it’s a guy, or a very very strange sounding woman. It doesn’t matter either way - Leo opens his eyes warily.

Hovering above him is indeed a man. Olive colored skin littered with endless tattoos trailing up his arms, the stranger’s are a unique shade of greenish brown that he cannot really describe nor one he has seen before. A dark T-shirt that easily pops in the lighted room is baggy on him, the same applying with his trousers though to less of an extent. On his head is a plain navy cap which doesn't quite fit him properly. Underneath it, he spots little dark curls of hair.

He’s on the leaner side, borderline scrawny. Leo can take him.

“Oh, hey,” The stranger retracts his hand upon seeing the Argentine’s eyes open. Nonetheless, he looks thrilled for whatever reason, excitement flickering through his gaze, “I-”

Leo lunges forward, seeing the opportunity to gain the advantage. This man had knocked him out for whatever reason - he clearly wasn’t here to make friends.

It’s unfortunate that upon pushing himself up, he realizes that he hasn’t got much mobility in one of his arms which ruins his original plan to strangle the man until he passed out. Of course the man would disable him to prevent such an attack beforehand. So, his arms end up wrapping awkwardly around the man’s neck, hands slipping past the intended target. He’s as good as dead. The stranger wraps his arms around him -

And hugs him.

“You don't need to thank me!” The stranger seems to have mistaken the attack as an embrace, but doesn’t seem to mind. He seems to be laughing at the Argentine's 'enthusiasm', his tone teasing.

“ _Thank_ you?” Leo twists out of his embrace, using his good arm to help him slide away. His back pushes against the wall as he recoils. “You knocked me out and fucked up my arm--”

He stops upon properly inspecting his arm. It seems that its lack of mobility stems from a poor attempt at bandaging it. He recalls that it’s the same arm where he had been bitten by the creature.

“Sorry about that, I got so excited to see someone else, I accidentally dropped my stuff on your head,” The stranger scratches his head in embarrassment, grinning as if this were all a joke to him. Leo doesn't even try to question how that's possible as the man points towards the corner of the room where a cardboard box sits. Leo can’t see its contents from here, but he's glad to see that his bag is sitting next to it, “Don’t worry, your arm is probably going to be fine. The effects of their saliva only last for a few minutes anyway. Oh, and I found your bag too!”

The effects? Ah, he recalls his body failing him in his last attempt to flee. How he’d been unable to move or cry out, paralyzed in what he thought had been fear.

“...Who are you?” Distrust still flickers through Leo’s gaze, his stance defensive despite the stranger’s explanation. He has never seen this man in town before and he certainly doesn’t recognize this room.

“Neymar Jr, “ The man is still smiling happily - god, why on earth is he so happy? It’s probably fake, probably completely an act. Some ploy to get something out of Leo.

“I don’t give a fuck about what your name is,” Leo snaps impatiently, though he suddenly self consciously runs his fingers over the little hairs that prickly his chin upon remembering the very first words Neymar had said to him, “ _Who are you?_ I mean, why did you save me? Where did you come from?”

“Oh,” Neymar doesn’t seem at all fazed by this, though he does drop his smile to think. “I heard a lot of noise nearby and saw you - what kind of person would let someone just die right in front of them? Uhh, and I don’t really know where I came from, I guess.”

“You don’t know,” Leo repeats, clearly unimpressed by his answer. 

“I don’t remember. I mean, it’s always just been me out here. Oh, I mean after Dani left, that is.” His expression saddens upon mentioning the name.

“Dani?”

“Oh yeah, my brother! Well, we don’t think we’re /actually/ brothers by blood, but he’s like a brother to me.” Neymar’s expression changes again, no longer burdened by whatever sorrow was haunting him before. God damn, keeping up with this man was like hanging onto a roller coaster, “He left to go get supplies one day, said he’d come back.”

“And he never did,” Leo finds himself finishing, feeling a pang of sympathy. No, what was he doing? This ‘Neymar’ couldn’t be trusted for fucks sake. His story has to be a lie, Guardiola and their town would have found him by now. He looks what, around Leo’s age? Then that would mean over twenty years of living under the radar of a town - the only community down here. Even if this ‘Dani’ person did exist- “He’s probably dead.”

“Maybe,” Neymar admits, once again looking dejected. Leo feels bad - he knows he shouldn’t because this man is definitely lying - despite his harsh words. He’s taken aback upon looking up to see an expression of what can only be described as determination and hope on Neymar’s face. It’s mind bobbling to a certain extend - Leo has never seen such an optimistic person in his life time, “But maybe not. Maybe he’s waiting for me to find him, so I go out to go find him sometimes. And then I found you!”

There’s a look of genuine joy on Neymar’s face, his lips stretching into a smile once more. Leo looks away with annoyance rather than hostility this time; being around someone who seemed so genuinely positive was oddly irritating. Perhaps there was a part of him that envied Neymar for being able to have such a bright outlook on life despite their circumstances. 

“Well, I’m leaving.” Leo uses his good arm to prop himself up onto his feet now that he has determined Neymar as a non-threat. He still doesn’t believe his story but Leo has a feeling that Neymar isn’t out to get him. There are more important things to worry about than a scrawny bubble of joy strangling him to death while he isn’t looking.

“Leaving? Where are you going?” Neymar asks, looking rather alarmed at the prospect of the Argentine wandering around forever in the dark. He too stands up and it’s then that Leo feels another pang of annoyance - the kid is taller than him.

“Home,” Neymar looks like he wants to say something, so Leo does well to stop him before he can start, “The town,” he elaborates.

Neymar still looks dumbfound. Or maybe that’s his natural expression, Leo really doesn’t know.

“You can’t tell me that you’ve never seen it before.” Leo raises a brow before pushing past the man to get his bag. He squats down, still unwilling to turn his back on the stranger as he uses his good arm to open the pack. He looks though his things to make sure nothing has been stolen while still keeping Neymar in the corner of his eye, “There’s no way you haven’t spotted the lights.”

Neymar seems to consider this. Moments later, he bites his lip and shakes his head.

“Dani told me not to go near it, the lights. You can see it off in the distance from here.” That, Leo can believe. It’s often how the town looks from a fair distance away, it’s how it looked the last time he saw it from his scavenge with Jasper - a little blob of light in the distance.

“Why?” Leo asks as he zips his bag shut.

“I...don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Leo cannot help but ask, baffled. He shakes his head in disapproval, much like a parent would to a child. Neymar doesn't seem to know _a lot_ of things apparently. “So you just let him tell you what to do without asking why?”

“I don’t remember,” Neymar admits, adjusting his cap. He looks away and for the first time, he looks rather ashamed, “I can’t remember a lot of things...But I trust Dani!”

Leo gives Neymar a flat stare before sighing. Whoever this Dani person was, he seemed to have quite the hold on Neymar - he’d also clearly known something about the town. Why tell him not to go near the town when it was where the rest of civilization lived? Would it not make sense to group with the rest of them for the best chance of survival?

“Uh huh,” Leo decides that he’s done thinking about it too hard for now, thinking about a man that was probably already dead. He should be focusing on how he’s getting home, how he’s going to convince Neymar to let him have a flashlight -

“Let me come with you,” Neymar starts suddenly. Leo blinks, surprised at the sudden outburst, “You’ll need flashlights right? We can use mine, take all my supplies too just in case the trip gets long-” he blabbers.

“You said Dani told you to-”

“I-I know,” Neymar bites his lip and looks away again. He seems to do that when he’s nervous, “So I won’t go to the town. Think of me as an escort or a travel buddy instead,“ His eyes seem to light up in excitement at this prospect, “Plus, maybe I’ll find Dani along the way!"

There's a pause as Neymar waits for an answer. His eyes search Leo's face for any signs of rejection or approval - unluckily for him, Leo's much better at keeping whatever he wants bottled in than he is. Whatever he's searching for cannot be found in Leo's poker face. There's an element of desperation that surfaces across Neymar's gaze - It's then that Leo realizes that this isn't just about finding Dani or going out on some adventure. Neymar doesn't want to be left alone again - he's afraid that once Leo leaves, he'll never see him again. He's worried for a stranger that he's known for less than ten minutes - god, this kid couldn't hide his thoughts at all - and more prominently afraid of being alone once more. 

_"Please."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, Neymar is here! Lots of mysteries about him. Honestly, it's like 2 AM here and my brain is fried from writing this. Hope you enjoyed, I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible!

**Author's Note:**

> Don't worry guys, Neymar will make an appearance in the next few Chapters! I'd just like to set up the concept of this world/universe that they live in first. I hope you enjoy, comments are always appreciated!


End file.
